Community Affairs Legislation Committee
15/02/2024
Estimates
HEALTH AND AGED CARE PORTFOLIO
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Senator RENNICK: There was a reported suspected death of a 17-year-old from the Shingrix vaccine. I had a look at the product assessment report, and it said that there had actually been no safety and efficacy testing of Shingrix established in children and adolescents. The indication was for people older than 50 years of age. Have you looked into why a doctor would give a 17-year-old that vaccine given that that wasn’t what was recommended?
Mr Fletcher : I’d have to take on notice whether we’ve had a notification in relation to that specific situation. I should also note that I may be quite limited in what I can actually tell you given the confidentiality and privacy protections within national law, but I am happy to take your question on notice and come back to you on that.
Senator RENNICK: I’ll ask a more general question. Do you look at the TGA adverse event report and pick up where vaccine injuries or other drug injuries are reported, then compare them to the product assessment report to make sure that doctors are prescribing drugs in accordance with what’s on the indication from the TGA—the initial TGA recommendation?
Mr Fletcher : Is your question whether we regularly review those data?
Senator RENNICK: Yes. Is there some sort of connection or feedback loop between yourself and the TGA, as to how doctors prescribe medicine and if they’re doing it correctly?
Mr Fletcher : We have a close liaison with the TGA. We would expect that, if they had a concern about an individual medical practitioner or any other registered health practitioner, they would raise that with us. Then we would look at that as a notification through our normal processes.
